


Take Me Home, Country Roads

by kirani



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Aglionby wasn't in Henrietta, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Blue and Gansey work together, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, background pynch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 19:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17493860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirani/pseuds/kirani
Summary: Blue can't say no to Gansey when he makes those puppy dog eyes at her, which is how she finds herself in a car driving to West Virginia for his high school reunion... as his fake girlfriend.





	Take Me Home, Country Roads

**Author's Note:**

> a request from somski on tumblr: "Its my high school reunion and I need someone impressive to as a date to rub in the faces of all my former classmates!" As a bluesey au :)  
> I got a bit emotional with it because I have FeelingsTM about bluesey. I hope you like it!

“Morning, Jane,” Gansey smiled down at her as she doctored her coffee in the breakroom.

“What do you want?” Blue answered without looking away from her cup.

“Who says I necessarily want something?”

Blue sighed and looked up from her cup.

“You have that face on,” she explained. “The ‘If I’m really nice Blue will give me what I want’ face.”

Gansey gave an exaggerated pout. 

“The stage lost a great actor when you decided to become a dog trainer,” Blue laughed, but waved at him to ask his question.

“My ten-year high school reunion is fast approaching.”

“Congrats on being old,” Blue interrupted. 

“We’re the same age!” 

Blue shrugged. 

“I need a date.”

“Oh hell no.”

“Please, Jane? I need someone who can abide by their nonsense and also make them all super jealous! Just for one weekend and I’ll never ask you for anything ever again!”

“That’s a lie and we both know it,” Blue crossed her arms over her chest. 

Gansey clasped his hands in front of him and made his best puppy dog eyes. 

“I’ll pay for everything, hotel, travel, dinner, you just pretend to be my girlfriend for a couple of events. Please? You’ll get to sass pretentious prep school boys! Your favorite past time!”

“It is not my favorite past time, it is just something I have to do a lot because they won’t  _ shut up _ .”

“I take offense to that,” Gansey sniffed.

“Noted.”

“So, will you do it?” 

“No.”

“Please, Blue? I can’t show up to this depressingly single!”

“Your relationship status should have no bearing on your happiness,” Blue retorted. 

He just pouted back at her. 

“When is this thing anyway?”

“September 15, a month from tomorrow,” Gansey grinned, sensing she was caving. “I’ll forward you the email with the dress code.”

Blue rolled her eyes. 

“Fine,” she gave in like she always did at that pout. “But If I have to go clothing shopping for this I will kill you.”

“You are magnificent, Jane!” Gansey exclaimed, ignoring her threat. 

“And you are bringing me coffee every morning for the next month.”

“Done!”

Thankfully for Gansey, Blue did own clothing that more or less fit the dress code of the brunch and cocktail mixer to which she was escorting Gansey. She texted him that his murder would not, in fact, occur and largely put it from her mind. 

The coffee each morning was nice though. Gansey hadn’t even had to ask how she took it, they ended up in the break room together often enough, she supposed. At least the training facility gave them good coffee. 

The Friday before the weekend away, Gansey came by with the coffee, as usual, and asked if she was packed. 

Blue thanked him for the coffee and patted the duffle bag beside the chair she was sitting in. 

“Great. See you at 5, Jane.”

She waved him off and took a long swig of the coffee. She would miss the morning coffees. Just a little.

On the drive down to West Virginia, Blue nudged Gansey into telling him who she would be meeting. 

“My best friends were Adam Parrish and Ronan Lynch. They’ve been together since senior year and both keep threatening to propose but I honestly don’t think they ever will.”

“Don’t usually hear the word threat tied to proposing. But you do you, boys,” Blue chuckled. 

Gansey grinned and continued onto an hour-long ramble about his various friends, acquaintances, teachers, and less-than-friendly classmates that she would meet the next morning. 

“But Adam and Ronan are the big ones to know,” Blue cut in when he seemed to run out of people. 

“Yeah, that’s probably safe.”

“What do they do? Should probably know if they’re your best friends and I’m your girlfriend. Or did you tell them it was fake?”

“Oh, no, they don’t know I’m bringing anyone at all.”

“Why not?”

“Ronan is a farmer, though he’s not what you’re expecting, I promise,” Gansey sidestepped her question. “Adam is a professor at the school we all went to, Aglionby Academy.”

Blue nodded. 

When they got to the hotel, Gansey let Blue take the bathroom first and she gladly washed off the day and the car ride. It had only been three hours but she was glad it was done with. 

As she ceeded the bathroom to Gansey she paused. 

“What should I call you? Do I have to call you Dick? Because I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“Please don’t. Gansey is just fine.”

“Most girlfriends don’t call their boyfriends by their last name,” Blue pointed out. 

“Most boyfriends aren’t named  _ Dick _ ,” Gansey retorted and disappeared into the bathroom. 

“Sorry,” Blue mumbled after him. Must have struck a nerve. 

When he emerged 20 minutes later with wet hair, his smile was back in place. 

“Alarm for 8 alright with you? I’d like to get a workout in before this brunch.”

“Suit yourself,” Blue agreed from her bed. 

Gansey nodded and climbed into his own bed. He fiddled with his phone for a few moments before plugging it into a charger and turning off the bedside lamp. 

“Goodnight, Jane.”

“Goodnight, Gansey.”

~

Blue managed to sleep through Gansey getting up for his workout and only woke up when the shower turned on in the bathroom. She checked her phone notifications as she waited. 

“Jane? Are you awake?” Came a voice from the bathroom. 

“Mostly.”

“Um, I forgot to bring in a change of clothes. Is it alright if I come out in just a towel? I promise nothing untoward!”

Blue laughed. “Yes, Gansey, that’s fine. Come get your clothes.”

It turned out that Blue was not prepared for the sight of a half-naked Gansey, though. His skin was still damp from the shower and his hair curled adorably at the nape of his neck. And, holy shit, he had a six pack. 

Blue quickly turned her gaze back to her phone, grateful her dark skin didn’t easily show a blush. 

Gansey grabbed some clothes from his suitcase and disappeared back into the bathroom, while Blue gave herself a very stern talking to. 

_ You are here as a friend, not to ogle your coworker, get it together! _

When Gansey emerged a few minutes later, hair styled and fully clothed, Blue’s heart rate was more or less under control. 

“So,” Gansey sat on the edge of his bed and looked over at her. “We didn’t really discuss boundaries for this. What are you comfortable or not with?”

“Oh, well, a little PDA is alright, but no kissing, please. Cheek would be okay. Hand holding. That kind of thing.”

“Perfect, exactly what I was going to suggest.”

Blue smiled at him, trying not to think about kissing him. 

“Should we talk backstory?” She said to distract herself. 

“Good idea. Met at work seems safe since it’s the truth. Together six months? Short enough that no one will bug us about long term plans but long enough it’s not odd for me to have brought you.”

“Perfect. First date?”

“Hmmm, we aren’t really sure, because we got lunch together all the time and then realized we were basically dating. But we count it from the first time I took you to dinner and kissed you good night.”

“Richard Gansey, who knew you were such a romantic?” Blue teased. It sounded like a nice way to start dating someone. It sounded like a nice way to start dating Gansey. 

“Any other details I’m forgetting?” Gansey asked, a dusky blush on his cheekbones. 

“That should do it. Any weird questions I’ll divert to you.”

Gansey studied his shoes for a moment, thinking. 

“Thank you again, Blue. For doing this. I don’t know if I could face them all alone.”

“You’re welcome.”

The silence hung heavy for a moment until Blue began to climb out of the bed. 

“Let me just freshen up and get dressed and we can head to the brunch.”

Gansey nodded and Blue took her clothes and toiletry bag to the bathroom. 

When she emerged in a soft pink dress and sensible boots, her hair pulled back with a few clips, Gansey looked her up and down briefly then blushed and hid his face.

“Ready?” She said, ignoring him. It was for the best. They worked together. 

The brunch was… awkward. 

Gansey was asked what the hell happened to him at least ten times in the first hour, followed by offers to set him up with a “proper” profession four times, and given a strange stare before a change of subject thrice more. 

Adam and Ronan were nice, though. They didn’t seem the sort to have been Gansey’s best friends, but she supposed he’d changed a lot since high school if his classmates’ invasive questions were anything to go by. 

Adam had asked how he was doing and if he was happy and how he and Blue had met and all the appropriate questions. Ronan had hugged Gansey gruffly, told him, “You look good, man,” and let Adam do the talking, holding his boyfriend’s hand and running a thumb along his knuckles. 

“So,” Blue asked when she had stolen Gansey away for a moment. “Is this why you didn’t want to come alone?”

Gansey nodded, pulling at his tie. 

Blue touched his elbow softly. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Just keep making those eyes at me, the boys are all jealous.”

Blue snorted. She was  _ not _ making eyes at Richard Gansey. Definitely not.

“Yeah, alright. Ready to head back in?” 

“We should, they probably think we’re making out back here.”

Blue cocked an eyebrow and raised her hands up around his head. “May I?”

Gansey nodded, his eyebrows a bit furrowed, and Blue grinned as she mussed his hair. 

“Now they really will,” she whispered conspiratorially, then winked, grabbed his hand, and led him back to the party. 

Gansey followed. 

When they had made it back to their hotel room, Gansey walked in and flopped face first on the bed. 

“My God,” he moaned, his voice muffled by the bedspread. 

“That was rough,” Blue agreed. “What’s it their business what you do, anyway?”

Gansey rolled over and stared at the ceiling. “Aglionby is a networking tool, more than it is a school. It’s about meeting people who will later help your careers. My mother is in  _ Congress _ , Jane.”

“I’m aware. Didn’t think you wanted any of that, though.”

“I don’t,” he told the ceiling. “And the ones who knew me then, really knew me, knew I didn’t want to go into politics. But they thought I’d go into History.”

“That’s your degree, right?”

“Yeah. But I couldn’t do academia like that. It ruined history, to be a historian. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but--”

“Gansey, you don’t have to explain it,” Blue interrupted. “It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you.”

“Thanks, Jane,” Gansey said quietly. 

“Do you want to take a nap before the cocktail mixer?” Blue offered. “I’ll wake you in plenty of time.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“Should take off your fancy clothes first,” Blue said, then blushed. She hadn’t meant it like  _ that _ .

Gansey blushed, too.

“Another great idea from Jane. What will she think of next?”

“I’ll let you know. Go change and nap.”

Gansey smiled tiredly at her and went to the bathroom to change. He passed out quickly and Blue opened a book.

She soon found herself distracted from her book, though, as his soft snores began. She looked over and found him… God, he was gorgeous like this. 

She glued her eyes back to her page. She was not here to ogle him. She was  _ not _ . She was here to support a friend. 

A friend who trusted her to fake-date him at his high school reunion, a very stressful event. 

A friend who trusted her to sleep beside him and to nap in the bed next to her. 

A friend she maybe, possibly, wanted to be more than a friend to.

When it came time to wake him, she didn’t want to. He had been so stressed and he looked so peaceful now. 

“Gansey?” she called softly. He didn’t stir. 

She stood and leaned down to touch his shoulder. 

“Gansey? It’s time to wake up.”

His eyes scrunched shut a tiny bit before blinking open. 

“Jane?”

“Something like that,” Blue smiled at him. “Time to wake up.”

Gansey groaned. “Do we have to go?”

“Well, no, but if we’re going to, you have to get up.” 

“You’re too kind, Jane.”

Blue shrugged. 

“You should probably get up either way, actually. But if you want to ditch, I’m down.”

Gansey finally opened his eyes all the way, studying her face. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

“I would what?”

“Ditch this ridiculous party and go on a crazy adventure with me.”

“I’m pretty sure this already qualifies as a crazy adventure,” Blue teased. 

“Jane,” Gansey began, then shook his head. “Blue. You’re amazing.”

Blue blinked. “You’re not so bad yourself, Gansey.”

“No, you’re missing the point,” Gansey sat up, grasping for Blue’s hands where she stood beside his bed. “There’s literally no one else I’d rather have here with me.” 

Blue felt her face burning. 

“Gansey, I’m... honored but a little confused.”

“You’re kind and supportive and beautiful and I guess I’m saying, if you’ll let me, I’d like to take you on more adventures. As many as you’ll have me for.”

“Are you… what?” Blue stammered.

“Will you real-date me?” Gansey asked. 

Blue gaped. 

Gansey’s face fell.

“I’ve read this wrong, I’m so sorry, please forgive me--”

Blue, however, regained her senses and leaned down to kiss him, catching him mid-word and rather awkwardly ending up kissing his bottom lip more than his mouth as a whole. 

She laughed and drew back an inch, tilting her head and leaning in again. 

This time, Gansey met her perfectly. 

It was exactly what she had though kissing Richard Gansey would be like. He tasted of mint and his lips were soft. His hands came up to rest on her waist and she threaded her fingers through his wavy hair. 

When they broke apart, both of them were a little short of breath. 

“I don’t want to go to this cocktail hour. I want to take you out properly,” Gansey mumbled against her lips. 

“Okay,” Blue answered. 

~

Monday morning, Gansey brought her coffee again. 

“Is this a thing we do now?” Blue smirked. 

“I thought perhaps I could trade a coffee for a kiss,” Gansey offered. 

“I think I could be down with that,” Blue smiled, leaning up to kiss him. 

When she had taken her first sip of coffee, Gansey seated beside her in the break room, he spoke again. 

“I told Adam and Ronan about… well, all of it.”

“Yeah?”

“They want to meet you properly.”

“Is that okay?” Blue’s eyebrows shot up.

“Is it okay with  _ you _ ?” Gansey asked instead of answering.  

“Of course, Gansey. I want to meet your friends. I want to meet everyone important to you.”

“You really are amazing, Jane.”

She just kissed him again. 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on tumblr at [blueseyforthesoul](https://blueseyforthesoul.tumblr.com), come support my effort to flood the bluesey tag with fluffy goodness. Reblog this fic [here](https://blueseyforthesoul.tumblr.com/post/182182790765/take-me-home-country-roads).


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